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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Review: Descendants of the Rose by Juliette Harper - Giveaway

Welcome to my tour stop for Descendants of the Rose by Juliette Harper! This fun, fast-paced paranormal is the first book in the Selby Jensen Paranormal Mysteries series and the tour runs July 20-31. Check out the tour page for more information.

Selby Jensen’s business card reads “Private Investigator,” but to say the least, that downplays her real occupation. Let’s hear it in her own words:

“You want to know what I do for a living? I rip souls out. Cut heads off. Put silver bullets where silver bullets need putting. You think there aren't any monsters? . . . I have some disturbing news for you. You might want to sit down. Monsters walk among us. I'm looking for one in particular. In the meantime? I'm keeping the rest of them from eating people like you.”

In this debut novel of her new paranormal mystery series, Juliette Harper, author of The Lockwood Legacy books and The Study Club Mysteries creates a cast of characters, most of whom have one thing in common; they don’t have a pulse. The dead are doing just fine by Selby, who is determined never to lose someone she loves again, but then a force of love more powerful than her grief changes that plan.

Join Selby Jensen as she and her team track down a shadowy figure tied to a murder at a girls’ school. What none of them realize, however, is that in solving this case, they will enter a longer battle against a larger evil.

Review: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest reviewI really enjoyed this fun, fast-paced paranormal mystery. It's funny- when I first started reading Descendants of the Rose, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Selby. Since the story is told from her point of view, in her voice, that would be a big issue. She started out rough and gritty, but she really grew on me quickly.

The cast of characters were rather quirky making this a fun story even when the subject matter became serious. And it did become rather serious, especially toward the end. Though macabre, I did like the plot, especially the link to the roses and the history of the girls' school.

Selby was tough, yet soft. Yeah, I know, hard to explain. She was sarcastic, yet kind, angry, yet forgiving-- at times she was a study in conflicting emotions. She'd been hurt one too many times and preferred keeping company with the dead. In this paranormal world, ghosts have lots of power. In some ways it almost seemed better to be a ghost than living. Her best friend Helen seemed to be having the time of her life afterlife.

I appreciated the fast pace. In fact there never was much of a lull in the entire story. Lots of action along with research and investigation-- all of it interesting. I'd have to say the best thing about this novel was the characters and the potential for more. They were all quite intriguing. It will be interesting to see how they grow and work together as the series continues. I'll definitely be watching for book 2.

About the Author:

Juliette Harper is the pen name used by the writing team of Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson. Descendants of the Rose is the first installment of Harper’s debut Selby Jensen Paranormal Mystery series.
Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan, worked as a journalist and university history instructor before becoming a full-time freelance writer in 2002.
Juliette Harper is also the author of The Lockwood Legacy, a nine-book chronicle of the lives of three sisters who inherit a ranch in Central Texas following their father’s suicide. Four of the novels are currently available: Langston’s Daughters, Baxter’s Draw, Alice's Portrait and Mandy’s Father.
And don’t miss her hilariously funny “cozy” Study Club Mysteries, a light-hearted spinoff of The Lockwood Legacy. The books, set in the 1960s, take on the often absurd eccentricities of small town life with good-natured, droll humor. The first book, You Can’t Get Blood Out of Shag Carpet is availablewith the second, You Can’t Put a Corpse in a Parade, coming in Summer 2015.

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About Me

Bestselling and award-winning YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works as an editor for two publishers, as well as select indie authors. She shares her home with her teenage son, three dogs, and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains,
and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take
a chocolate covered superhero!) She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has
been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different
cities and states.